Catalytic reactor
AssigneeJohnson Matthey PLC
InventorAndrew Mark Ward
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An axial/radial—or radial/flow catalytic reactor has inlet and outlet ports and a bed of particulate catalyst disposed as e.g. a cylinder or cone round a central region communicating with one of the ports. For at least part of the height of the catalyst bed, the exterior surface of the catalyst bed has a diameter less than that of the reactor thus leaving space between the exterior surface of the catalyst bed and the interior walls of the reactor. This space is filled with a particulate material presenting less resistance to flow than the catalyst particles.
Claims20
A method of charging a reactor having inlet and outlet ports with a bed of a particulate catalyst, comprising:
- a) providing a first, perforate, catalyst restraining means to define a central region within the catalyst bed and connected to one of said ports;
- b) disposing a second particle restraining means between said first catalyst restraining means and an interior wall of said reactor, thereby forming a space between said first and second restraining means and a space between said second restraining means and the interior wall of said reactor;
- c) filling the space between said first and second restraining means with particulate catalyst;
- and
- d) introducing particulate material into the space defined by the second restraining means and the interior wall of the reactor in a manner such that:
- (i) the particulate material presents less resistance to flow than said catalyst particles;
- and
- (ii) at least a portion of the particulate material is in contact with the interior wall of the reactor.
A method of converting an axial flow reactor to a radial flow reactor or an axial-radial flow reactor by charging a reactor having inlet and outlet ports with a bed of a particulate catalyst, comprising:
- a) providing a first, perforate, catalyst restraining means to define a central region within the catalyst bed and connected to one of said ports;
- b) disposing a second particle restraining means between said first catalyst restraining means and an interior wall of said reactor, thereby forming a space between said first and second restraining means and a space between said second restraining means and the interior wall of said reactor;
- c) filling the space between said first and second restraining means with particulate catalyst;
- and
- d) filling at least a portion of the space defined by the second restraining means and the interior wall of the reactor with particulate material in a manner such that:
- (i) the particulate material presents less resistance to flow than said catalyst particles;
- and
- (ii) at least a portion of the particulate material extends from at least the exterior surface of the second restraining means through to and in contact with the interior wall.
A method of charging a reactor having inlet and outlet ports with a bed of a particulate catalyst, comprising:
- a) providing a perforate catalyst restraining means to define a central region within the catalyst bed and connected to one of said ports;
- b) filling at least a portion of the space between said restraining means and the interior walls of the reactor with particulate catalyst;
- and
- c) introducing particulate material into the space defined by the exterior surface of the catalyst bed and the interior wall of the reactor in a manner such that:
- (i) the particulate material presents less resistance to flow than said catalyst particles;
- and
- (ii) at least a portion of the particulate material forms a layer extending at least from the exterior surface of the catalyst bed through to and in contact with the interior wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.